INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Senate voted 49-0 Thursday to lengthen the amount of time a criminal or civil action relating to child sex abuse can be brought.

“The children deserve it, they deserve our protection,” said state Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, the sponsor of Senate Bill 142.

The current statute of limitations for a sex crime involving a child is age 5.

This legislation, which now goes to the House, allows criminal charges to be filed up to 10 years after the abuse ends, or four years after the victim ceases to be a dependent of the alleged abuser.

The proposal changes the civil statute of limitations to seven years after the act of abuse, or four years after the victim ceases to be a dependent of the alleged abuser.

Some of the crimes that would fall under new statute of limitations include child molesting, child solicitation, incest, promoting prostitution, human trafficking, child seduction and possession of child pornography.